Amy Pastoor, Crab the dog and Laura Rocklyn in Annapolis Shakespeare Company's Two Gentlemen of Verona

Annapolis Shakespeare Company

Laura Rocklyn and Chelsea Mayo in Pallas Theatre Collective's She Stoops to Conquer

Teresa Castracane

From dreams of Prince Albert serenading her with Schubert to an obsessive appreciation for Jane Eyre, LAURA ROCKLYN seems ready to dive down history’s rabbit hole. Get the scoop in this week’s Take Ten and catch her in Annapolis Shakespeare Company[1]'s Alice and the Book of [2]Wonderland[2] through August 20

1) What was the first show you ever saw, and what impact did it have?

When I was two-years-old, my mother took me on my first trip to the theater to see the New York City Ballet perform Cinderella at Lincoln Center. My memories are vague (unsurprisingly at that age!), but I do remember the magical realization that some of my favorite storybook characters were coming to vivid and colorful life in front of me. I've wanted to be a part of bringing stories to life on stage ever since.

2) What was your first involvement in a theatrical production?

I very gleefully played the tired Zebra in our class production of The Runaway Zoo in first grade.

3) What’s your favorite play or musical, and why do you like it so much?

My favorite play depends on my mood! The Secret Garden musical is one that I could watch over and over again. I probably sing through the CD in my car at least once a week. The music is beautiful and emotional, and the story is so magical and poignant! Twelfth Night will always be one of my favorites, partly because Viola's "patience on a monument" speech has comforted me in many difficult moments of my life.

4) What’s the worst day job you ever took?

I've been pretty lucky with day jobs because my interest in history has lead me to do historic character portrayals for a lot of museums. I will say, though, that first person museum jobs lead to some awkward moments with patrons - for example, when you're trying to smuggle a frappuccino through the historic area on a hot summer day, and someone wants to take a peek at what's under the cloth covering your basket!

5) What is your most embarrassing moment in the theatre?

When I was playing Titania in an outdoor production of Midsummer, I stood up from sleeping in my bower after Bottom awakened me, and suddenly felt that the lacing on the back of my skirt was coming undone and the skirt was rapidly sliding off of my hips! Just as I was about to panic, I felt one of the wonderful actresses playing my fairies grab me around the waist and start lacing the skirt back up as I continued my speech.

It is such an exciting challenge to work with all of the theatrical magic that brings the mystery and zaniness of Wonderland to life -- from projections, to spinning tables, to confetti falling from the sky! Opening ASC's new space with a new adaptation has really allowed this incredibly talented and hardworking production team to pull out all the stops, and to come up with splendidly creative ways to transport us to Wonderland.

I have so many history crushes with whom I would love to spend an evening!! But, if I have to chose one, it would probably be Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert. I would want to hear all about the creation of The Great Exhibition of 1851, talk with him about politics, literature, art - especially his architectural designs - and, of course, hear him play Schubert on the piano.

8) What is your dream role/job?

My absolute dream role of all time is Jane Eyre. It has been my favorite novel since I was a teenager - at one point, I reread it so often that I had most of it memorized. That character and story have been so important to me and have been such a strong presence in my life, that I would be thrilled beyond measure to have a chance to share them with an audience. I would love to be part of helping to introduce a new generation of readers to Charlotte Bronte.

9) If you could travel back in time, what famous production or performance would you choose to see?

I would love to have seen Judi Dench's Juliet at The Old Vic in 1960. I've been lucky enough to see her on stage a couple of times in recent years, and the graceful, calm way that she commands a huge theatre just by her mere presence in the moment is stunning and inspiring. I imagine her Juliet must have been electric. Plus, what an incredible supporting cast that show had.

10) What advice would you give to an 8-year-old smitten by theatre / for a graduating MFA student?

To the 8-year-old: start to read and learn all you can - about theater and acting, of course, but also about history, literature,
science. It is vital to have a background knowledge and depth of understanding that you will be able bring to the creation of a character and their world. To the MFA student: see as much theater as you can! See what you like, what you don't like, what speaks to you, what bores you. Talk to other people in the business - get to know the people in your theater community and learn from them.

LAURA ROCKLYNis a Resident Company Member with Annapolis Shakespeare where she has appeared in Alice and the Book of Wonderland, The Tempest, Richard III, Our Town, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Tale of Two Cities, The Servant of Two Masters, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Sense and Sensibility, Scapin, Tartuffe, and The Turn of the Screw. She is also an Acting Ensemble Member with Chesapeake Shakespeare Company where she has performed in Wild Oats, Christmas Carol (2014, 2015, 2016), Hamlet, Dracula, and Twelfth Night. Her other Regional credits include: Pride and Prejudice at Round House Theatre; Sense & Sensibility at The Folger Theatre; Peter and the Wolf at Synetic Family Theatre; As You Like It at Kentucky Shakespeare; Twelfth Night and The Winter's Tale at Richmond Shakespeare; Henry VI, Parts 1-3 at Adirondack Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew and Dracula with Olney Theater Center's National Players. TELEVISION: Legends & Lies: Patriots. TRAINING: STC's Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University: MFA; Middlebury College: BA in Theatre and English Literature.